


Coming Clean

by LuxLouise



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Time, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:42:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27561697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuxLouise/pseuds/LuxLouise
Summary: Blaise works up the courage to admit his feelings.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Blaise Zabini
Comments: 25
Kudos: 97





	Coming Clean

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vesperswan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesperswan/gifts).



> Written for the lovely VesperSwan for her birthday! I love you and I hope you enjoy this little bit of fluff!

He couldn’t help but watch her. The way her hips swayed when she walked down the halls of the Ministry, her heels clicking, wand shoved in her bun, arms overflowing with parchment and books. They had become pretty good friends in the six years since Hogwarts and the war ended. Their entire friend group had meshed together within a year after the Dark Lord had been vanquished by Potter. He had gone on holidays with her, been to parties at her flat, they had dinner at least once a week —granted all of their friends had been there during all those times as well, but she was the only one Blaise had eyes for. 

Quelling his playboy ways hadn’t been hard the more he got to know her. Hermione Granger was many things, beautiful, the most intelligent person he had ever met. Then there were the things he had come to know about her that had sent him head over heels for her. She had a wicked sense of humour, sarcasm was her second language, the way she walked around with ink smeared all over her hands and lips made him smile, watching her with their friends' children, the way she lost herself in a book no matter what was going on around her, and how at every party, she sought out the resident animal and spent more time with the cats or dogs than she did with other human beings.

It was honestly the worst kept secret in their friend group. Everyone knew Blaise was head-over-heels for Hermione; everyone but her. Pansy had tried to help him woo her, however, no matter how close Pansy and Hermione had gotten since she had married Weasley, they were two very different women. Potter was oblivious to Hermione being a fully-grown woman and saw her as a sister. Draco was about as helpful as a hippogriff shoved inside a broom closet. They all had their own ideas as to how Blaise should confess his feelings, even though he had never  _ once _ asked them for their help. She was the one and he knew it. Silly dinners at expensive restaurants weren’t how he wanted to start their relationship, if she even wanted one. 

There was still the very large possibility that she didn’t even want him. She was friendly, she laughed at his poor attempts at jokes, but she never seemed to realise when he was flirting with her. Blaise didn’t want some grand gesture, he wanted simple romance, he wanted her and nothing else. Trying to gauge her interest though, that was the problem. She seemed immune to his charm. Tonight though, tonight, Blaise was making his move.

He knew she spent Christmas Eve alone, never wanting to intrude on their friends and their time with their families. She always made the rounds on Christmas day, stopping by everyone's Christmas dinners, handing out presents to all the honourary nieces and nephews who loved their Auntie Mi. The weather outside was leading to a beautifully white christmas, the snow was blanketing the court-yard his penthouse faced. He had put a tree up for the first time since he was a young boy. Blaise knew that Hermione loved Christmas but rarely celebrated it due to the lost of her parents. It was too painful and she had once confided in him after a night of too much firewhisky, that it was painful for her to go to their friends' houses and see the happy families, that’s also why she only stayed on Christmas day long enough to pass out presents and then make her excuses. He had sent her an owl, asking if she would join him for a drink at his flat and she had agreed.

Pacing in front of his Floo, Blaise was trying to convey an air of ease but it wasn’t working. Whenever he had wanted a woman in the past, he dressed in his finest clothes and turned on the charm. The difference with Hermione was that he didn’t just want to get her into bed, he wanted to wake up next to her, to make her breakfast. Blaise wanted to come home after a long day of being an Auror, kiss her on the forehead as she poured over her books, researching something for the Department of Mysteries. Laughing as they made dinner together. Blaise wanted what their friends had, he wanted everything.

The moment his Floo roared to life with green flames dancing in the hearth, Blaise jumped back, leaning against the mantel, trying, and failing, to look calm and collected. He watched as she directed her wand at herself, charming the soot off her clothes. She looked beautiful. Black leggings, an over-sized cream sweater that was falling off one of her slender shoulders. Her hair, while still full of magic, was less bushy. It flowed down her back. Her face was clear, she didn’t need make-up to look like the most beautiful woman Blaise had ever seen. She smiled at him as she pulled her boots off, setting them next to the fireplace.

“What's the occasion that you asked me over for a drink on Christmas Eve? There's a blizzard out there.” she asked, leaning opposite of him.

Blaise scoffed before pushing off the mantle. “You’re a witch, it’s not like you have to drive.” He gestured for her to follow him into the sitting room.

“Yes, and you know that during the last blizzard we had, the Floo networks collapsed and took four days before the Department of Magical Transportation could get it back up and running. I  _ also _ know that there are anti-Apparition wards around this entire building.”

As he led her into his sitting room, he was biting back a smile as she continued to chatter on about blizzards and getting stranded. She stopped short when they entered his sitting room. Right in front of the massive picture window that over-looked Muggle London, was a massive Christmas tree. White lights twinkled around the window, boxes of ornaments and decorations were scattered around the floor. He heard as her breath caught and she walked slowly farther into the room. 

When she turned to look at him, he saw tears in her eyes. “What...what is this?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “I remember you telling me when you were younger that you and your parents always decorated your tree on Christmas Eve night.” He took a couple steps toward her.

“I know you miss them, but I also know that you love Christmas and you haven’t let yourself enjoy it. I thought maybe you would like to help me decorate my tree. I haven’t had a tree since I was young.”

Blaise closed the distance between them, his hand coming up to her cheek, his thumb running over her bottom lip.

“There's no one else I would want to spend this evening with than you, Hermione.”

He watched as her eyes widened and her breath seemed to speed up. She started to speak and Blaise put his finger over her lips.

“Please, just let me get this out. You’re amazing. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get you to see me as more than a friend for years now. I want you, I want everything with you.”

She didn’t say anything, so Blaise decided he would just go for it. He leaned down, his lips ghosting over hers before pressing ever so gently against her. His entire body felt like it was on fire, she melted against him. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against him. Her arms snaked around his neck and she returned the kiss with interest. When he pulled a small moan from her lips, he could have crowed with joy.

When she pulled back slightly. He smiled down at her, her face was flushed and her eyes were bright.

“I want you too. More than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life,” she told him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
